Picnic With Friends
by Marymel
Summary: Sofia joins Jim, Jackson and Eli for a picnic...and remembers Eli's dad.


**Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.**

 **Happy Birthday Louise Lombard!**

 **I've had this idea for a while. I miss Sofia and Brass on the show, and it occurred to me that I hadn't written a Brass story in a long time. Then I thought about writing a story with Brass and Warrick's son Eli. So I wondered, why not have a story with Brass, Jackson, Sofia and Eli? I wondered how Sofia might remember Eli's dad, and I miss Brass and Sofia's friendship. So here's what I came up with. Hope you enjoy...and pretty please review!**

It was a beautiful autumn Sunday, and Sofia Curtis thought it would be nice to have lunch with her great friend Jim Brass. She called and asked if he wanted to join her. He said he'd made plans with two good friends but they would love to see her. So Sofia agreed to meet them at a park for a picnic lunch.

When Sofia arrived, she smiled warmly when she saw Brass with Greg Sanders' son Jackson and Warrick Brown's son Eli. She'd met Eli at Jackson's birthday party two years before, and saw so much of his father in the inquisitive boy. And Sofia had known Jackson for years and adored him.

Jackson smiled when he saw Sofia coming to them. "Hi, Aunt Sofia!"

"Hey!" She said as she hugged the sweet little boy. She smiled at Brass. "Your good friends?"

Brass smiled. "Yeah. Greg and Morgan are finishing up some work at the lab, and Tina had to work. So we thought we'd have a picnic."

"We brought lots of food," Eli happily said. "Do you like turkey sandwiches?"

"Yeah," Sofia said with a warm smile.

Jackson took Sofia's hand and led her to their picnic blanket. "Come on! We've got lots of food!"

"Okay," Sofia said with a soft laugh.

Brass smiled warmly at his beautiful friend. "Thanks for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me," Sofia said. "It's a beautiful day. Plus I haven't seen these guys in a while." She smiled and thanked Eli when he offered her a bottle of water.

"Uncle Jim makes good sandwiches," Eli said with a smile.

"Yeah!" Jackson agreed. "They almost as good as my daddy's peanut butter and banana ones!"

Jim couldn't help but laugh. "Well thanks guys."

Sofia smiled as she watched her dear friend interact so naturally with the two boys. She'd always admired and respected Jim. Seeing him endure so much in the last couple of years broke her heart. Now that Ellie was in prison, she hoped Jim would find peace and his daughter would finally accept responsibility for what she'd done.

"So, Eli," Jim asked. "How's school going?"

"Good," Eli said as he took a bite of his sandwich. "My teacher's really nice."

"My teacher is too," Jackson said.

"Aw, that's good," Jim said. He couldn't help but smile as the two boys chatted happily about school and anything else that came to mind. He saw their fathers in the two friends.

Eli had only met Sofia a few times, but knew she was Jim's good friend. And Sofia loved seeing both boys.

"Aunt Sofia, did you know I have a doggie?" Jackson asked.

"You do?"

"Yeah! Her name is Scruffy, and she likes to sleep on my bed! An' she loves to play with her ball!"

"Does she like the toy we got her?" Eli asked.

"On, yeah!" Jackson happily said. "We've had Scruffy for a whole year, an' Eli an' his mommy gave her a toy ducky! She chases that all over the house!"

"Really?" Jim asked. "Does she still like bacon?"

Both boys giggled. "Yeah!" Jackson said. "Daddy gave her some this morning!"

"She ate some of mine, too!" Eli said. "Mommy and I had lunch at their house the other day, and she ate some off both our plates!"

"Yeah, an' she sure likes her tummy rubs!"

"That's wonderful," Jim said with a warm smile.

Sofia smiled and laughed softly. "Well, she sounds like a great dog."

They enjoyed lunch and the company more. Sofia missed spending time with Jim, and loved seeing the boys as well. And Jim loved seeing Eli and Jackson. He knew they knew nothing of Jim's ordeal with Ellie or why Eli's father was killed - they just loved Jim and each other.

Jackson smiled at Sofia. "Do you like your lunch?"

"I do," Sofia said. "And I like the company even more." She smiled warmly at her dear friend.

Eli smiled softly. "Aunt Sofia, Uncle Jim said you were friends with my daddy."

Jim and Sofia smiled sadly. "Yeah," Sofia said. "Before I had my job, I worked with him. And I worked with Jackson's daddy too."

"I told him his dad was a good scientist," Jim added.

Sofia smiled softly as she thought of Warrick. "Yes, he was."

"Eli an' my daddy are good scientists, too!" Jackson said. "The other day, Eli stayed at our house. And we made the water in the toilet bubble up!"

"You did?" Jim asked with a smile as Sofia softly laughed.

Eli and Jackson laughed. "Well, that sounds really cool!" Sofia said.

"I'll bet your mom wasn't happy," Jim told Jackson.

"It was funny!" Eli said.

"Yeah!" Jackson added.

As Jim and Jackson chatted, Eli looked at Sofia. "Did you know my daddy?"

Sofia smiled softly. "Yeah, I did. He was a good man."

Eli nodded. "Yeah, that's what Uncle Jim and everyone says."

"It's true!" Jim said.

"Yeah," Sofia said. "I worked with him. He was a great CSI. He always cared about his family at the lab."

Eli listened intently as Sofia talked about his father. He knew his dad really wanted him, and loved hearing stories about him from his CSI family.

"You know how you and Jackson like to hang out together?" Sofia asked. Eli nodded and she smiled. "Well, that's something your dad and Jackson's dad did."

"And they hung out with your Aunt Sara and Uncle Nicky too," Jim said.

"Cool!" Eli and Jackson said.

"And your daddies were always there for each other," Sofia said. "I remember working a case with Greg. It was when he first started his job, and he was having a tough time. Warrick called him and just listened to what was on his mind. That may not seem like much, but to Jackson's daddy it meant everything."

Eli smiled softly. "Cool! Sometimes I talk to my dad in my dreams, and he says he likes Jackson."

"He does?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah. I wish he was here, but I think he loves me." Eli looked down.

Jim put his hand on Eli's shoulder. "I know he does!" The little boy looked up at Jim, and his uncle smiled reassuringly. "Eli, he loved you even before you were born! He always had you in his heart, just like Jackson's daddy always had him in his heart."

Jackson smiled at his great friend. "Daddy says he loves me forever. Your daddy loves you forever, Eli."

"Absolutely!" Jim said.

Eli smiled wider. "Yeah?"

"Yeah!" Jim, Jackson and Sofia said.

Eli smiled at his extended family. He wished he could've known his father, but felt close to him through his aunts and uncles at the lab. And he loved being with Jim and everyone.

"Your father loved you," Sofia said. She smiled when Eli hugged Jim and Jackson. She hadn't known Warrick as long as Jim, but she respected the CSI very much. And she knew Warrick meant so much to Jim, Sara, Grissom and everyone.

Eli smiled at Jim and Jackson. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Jackson said. Jim simply smiled.

Eli smiled and hugged Sofia. "I'm glad you came and had lunch with us."

Sofia was surprised, but hugged the sweet child. "So am I, honey."

"Uncle Jim, can we have a picnic tomorrow?" Jackson asked.

"Well, tomorrow's Monday," Jim said. "You and Eli have to go to school."

"Maybe we can do this again soon," Sofia said. She smiled at Eli. "Maybe ask your mom and Jackson's dad and mom to join us?"

"Yeah!" Jackson said. Eli smiled happily. "Yeah!"

"That's a great idea," Jim said.

"You wanna come swing on the swings with us?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah! You wanna come?" Eli asked.

Jim and Sofia shared a smile and got up. "Sure," Jim said. Sofia smiled at the sweet boys. "I'd love to."

Jackson and Eli hurried to the nearby swings, laughing and happy. Sofia took Jim's hand and they joined the happy boys. Jim loved being the boys' uncle, and Sofia enjoyed being part of their family as well.

 **The End.**


End file.
